Milton lestee



(No Model.)

M. LESTER, Jr.

SLING SHOT FRAME. No. 344,840. Patented July 6, 1886.

3313 713;? @Mozne J N. PETERS. Phcw-Lilhographon Washinglnn. D. C,

llnrrn Srnrn s,

PATENT rarest MILTON LESTER, JR, OF SUFFIELD, CONNECTICUT.

SLING SHOT FRAME.

FzBPECIEIGATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 344,840, dated July 6, 1 886.

Application filed April 28, 1886. Serial No. 200,479.

To atZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, MILTON LESTER, Jr., a citizen of the United States, residing at Sufiield, in the county of Hartford and State of Connecticut, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Frames for Sling-Shots, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in sling-shot frames; and it consists of novel construction and arrangement of the various parts for service, substantially as hereinafter fully set forth, and specifically pointed out in the claims.

The object of my present invention is to provide an improved frame for sling-shots which can be compactly and snugly folded up, so that it can be conveniently and easily carried in the pocket, &c., to provide means for securely retaining and guiding the sliding sections in their movements when being adjusted either for use or storage, and to provide an improved frame which shall be simple and strong in construction, effective and reliable in operation, and cheap and inexpensive of manufacture.

I11 the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved fork, showing the handle and fork proper extended for use. Fig. 2 is a like view showing the fork and handle folded together, so that it can be conveniently carried. Figs. 8 and 4. are detached perspective views of the fork and handle.

Referring to the drawings, in which like letters of reference denote corresponding parts in all the figures, A designates the fork proper, and B the handle, of my invention, both of which are made from wire for strength and simplicity of construction and eheapness in the manufacture thereof.

The handle and fork comprise the two sliding sections, and they are adapted to be adjusted so that they practically occupy the space of but one of them, as will be more fully described presently.

The fork proper, A, comprises the side arms or bars, C, which are arranged at an angle to each other and provided at their outer free ends with hooks c, which are formed by bending the wire upon itself, and the inner ends of the bars 0 are bent to form the parallel bars 0. The arms C being made of springwire are normally distended or forced away (No model.)

for the'side bars of the handle 13, which is adapted to be moved between and through the guides and upon the fork, so that they are very compactly folded together.

The handle 13 comprises the parallel side bars, E, a transverse bar, e, at one end of the 6 side bars and connecting the latter, a cross bar, E, arranged at or near the free ends of the arms E, and having its ends bent around the arms E, so that it is free to slide longitudinally on the arms E, the said arms E being bent at their free ends to form the hooks e, which fit around the side bars, C, of the prong or fork A.

By arranging the eyes or guides d out of the plane of the side bars of the fork the han- 7 5 die is free to slide upon the fork so that the parts are very compactly folded together,and can be conveniently carried in the pocket; and by forming the books 0 atthe free ends of the side bars of the handle, the spring-arms of the So fork are drawn together. when the handle is slid upon the fork to compactly fold the parts, thus drawing the arms C inwardly or toward each other, so that they occupy a minimum of space.

The cross-bar E, that connects the side bars, E, of the handle, serves to keep the said bars together and normally hold them at the proper interval or distance apart and to prevent the said arms being forced laterally by the springarms C of the fork when the parts are folded together.

The eyes or hooks d and e serve as efficient guides to the sections, or the fork and handle, in their movements upon one another,and they 5 also serve to prevent the parts from becoming accidentally detached from each other.

When the device is unfolded or distended for use, the spring-arms C of the fork are forced laterally away from each other, so that they 10o lie at an angle to each other and approximate the shape of the ordinary fork made from wood, as is the common practice, and the handle lies beneath the fork when the latter is turned to a verticalv position when in use, so that the hand of the operator is in no danger of being struck by the missile that is expelled by an elastic band, I, that is connected to the hooks at the upper ends of the arms 0 of the fork,as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings. By means of the parallel arms 0 at the lower end of the inclined arms O,and at an angle to the latter, the hooks e are prevented from further movement on the arms 0, so that the handle is retained in place thereon and thereby held from further movement, so that when the device is in use the fork and handle cannot accidentally slide upon one another.

If it is desired, the arms 0' of the fork can be arranged at an angle toeach other and to the arms 0 thereof, and the cross bar E of the handle may be omitted; but I prefer to employ the construction shown in Figs. 1 and 2, as I have found by experiment that they are very efficient and reliable in operation.

The fork is made or bent'froma singlepiece of stout wire of suitable size, and the handle is also made from a single piece of wire, thus providinga fork which is strong and durable in construction and Very cheap and inexpensive of manufacture.

The operation of myinvention will be readily understood from the foregoing description taken in connection with the drawings.

I would have it understood that I do not'intend to confinemyself to the exact details of construction and form and proportion of the various parts, as I am aware that slight changes therein can be made without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a sling-shot frame, the combination of the fork having guides and a handle fitted in the guides and movable longitudinally therein to fold upon the forlgsubstantially as described.

2. In a sling-shot frame, the combination of the fork having the guides at ornear its lower end and the handle fitted and movable in the guides and having the hooks loosely fitted on the fork, substantially as described.

3. As a new article of manufacture, a slingshot frame comprising the fork formed from a single piece of wire and having guides, and a handle fitted and-movable longitudinally in the guides to fold compactly upon the fork, substanstantially as described.

4. As a new article of manufacture, a slingshot frame comprising a fork having guides and a handle formed from a single piece of wire and passing through the guides, the free ends of the side bars of the handle having hooks which are fitted around the fork, substantially as described.

5. As a new article of manufacture, a slingshot frame comprising a fork made of a single piece of wire andhaving the guides at its base and the laterally-yielding arms,and a handle, also made from a single piece of wire,and having'the side arms passing through the guides and the hooks 0 at its free ends, said loops or hooks being fitted loosely around the yielding arms of the fork, substantially as described.

6. As a new article of manufacture, a slingshot frame comprising afork having the guides at its base and the spring-arms, a handle having the side bars passing through the guides and having the hooks embracing the springarms of the.fork,and a cross-bar connecting the side bars of the handle, said bar being arranged in front of the guides of the fork, substantially as described.

7. As a new article of manufacture, a slingshot frame comprising a fork having the springarms 0 and the parallel arms 0 at the lower ends of the spring-arms, the guide-loops located at the intersection of the parallel arms and the cross-bar connecting the latter, and a handle having the side bars passing through the guideloops, and the hooks at the free ends thereof fitted around the spring-arms, substantially as described.

8. As a new article of manufacture, a slingshot frame comprising a fork having the connected arms and the guides arranged out ofline with the arms and a handle passing through the guides and having the hooks embracing the arms of the fork, substantially as described, for the purpose set forth.

.In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

' MILTON LESTER, JR. 

